


Blurred Lines

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-08
Updated: 2008-05-08
Packaged: 2019-01-19 14:13:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12411852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: “How long do you think we’ll be in here?”� Sirius asks, stretching out on his back. “For the rest of time,”� James replies tonelessly. “Until I’m dead and you’re dying.”�





	Blurred Lines

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

**Blurred Lines**

He has been watching that spider crawl its way up the wall for six hours now.

“I’ve been watching that spider for six hours now,” Sirius says to James.

“I’ve been counting the bricks here,” James says, tapping one.

“Done that already.” Sirius says. “97 bricks.”

James gazes around interestedly. “Did you count the ceiling?”

“Yes.”

“The floor?”

“No…”

“Well, then.” James settles himself against a wall, and begins counting the stone bricks on the floor. “98, 99, 100, 101…”

“How long do you think we’ll be in here?” Sirius asks, stretching out on his back. His spider is now half-way up the wall, ready to reach his web.

“For the rest of time,” James says tonelessly. “Until I’m dead and you’re dying. Until we’re old and wrinkled.”

“I will never be wrinkled.” Sirius says indignantly. “I will retain my debonair looks until I am dead, and why, by the way, do I outlive you?”

“Because the best-looking one always dies first.” James says knowledgably. “And debonair looks, my arse. What are those bags under your eyes? I could attach some handles on them and have a purse.”

Sirius feels his face and is dismayed to indeed feel deep hollows underneath his eyes. “Lack of sleep.” He declares.

“A purse made out of the finest Sirius.” James says, miming holding a bag and showing it to an invisible audience.

“What would you do with a purse?” Sirius asks, now watching the spider reach its web. “Put in all your make-up and earrings?”

“I’d put an Enlargement Charm on it and stuff you in it,” James says. “Dammit, you made me lose count. 98, 99, 100…”

“52.” Sirius says loudly. “71, 65, 489, 24!”

“Stop it!” James says, swatting at Sirius. “I’m trying to count—”

“96, 82, 17, 5—”

“I’m going to kill your spider,” James decides. “Deprive me of my amusement and I’ll deprive you of yours.”

“How dare you,” Sirius says. “I’d die before letting you kill him.”

“How do you know it’s a him?” James asks interestedly.

“I don’t.” Sirius admits.

“Ah,” James says, looking up at the spider. “I suppose we could always find out.”

Sirius stares.

James catches the look on Sirius’s face. “I was kidding,” James clarifies. “I don’t really have an interest in finding out a spider’s sex—and I’m not sure I have the knowledge either. Who knows where their bits are?”

“Between the legs?” Sirius offers.

“Yeah, which one? They’ve got eight of them.”

Sirius considers. “Maybe all of them.”

“That would be some wild sex,” James mutters.

Sirius snorts with laughter. “You’re disgusting, mate,” he says affectionately.

“Hm.”

“I lied,” Sirius says abruptly, grinning. “I don’t know how many bricks there are.”

James looks at him for a moment. And then, he thuds his fist against the floor. “I _knew_ it,” he says over Sirius’s burst of laughter. “I _knew_ there were more than 97 bricks.”

“You think I’m as mad as you are, to actually _count_ all these bricks?”

James glares at him. “I am going to put that spider in your mouth while you’re sleeping.”

“Looking forward to it.”

“I will shove it so far down your throat,” James says. “You will feel a little leg poking out your arse.”

Sirius pauses for a moment and then says, “I am mildly concerned for that spider.”

“I am too.”

With a laugh, Sirius shoves James playfully. Behind him, there is a sudden clanging noise of locks and bars and metal.

The temperature drops several degrees.

Sirius turns, and there, close enough for him to touch, is a dementor. The laughter drops from Sirius’s face, and all light flees the place, leaving it a dark, murky stone gray. He watches the dementor push forth a tray of food, and then, it withdraws its hand, slides the bars closed again and locks the lock.

Sirius looks up at the face of the dementor, slow, awful horror bursting upon his face. No, worse than horror. Realization. Utter realization. He turns around slowly to see that James is gone and the cell is barren. And he understands.

His face breaks into a weak grin, and he chuckles slightly at the unfilled space where his best friend was.

“Stupid prick,” Sirius mutters, his voice suddenly much hoarser. He turns around again, grabs the tray of food blindly, his vision obscured by what suspiciously feels like tears.

Sirius does not sleep that night, and instead sits against the wall and watches the spider until daybreak. But he leaves half of his food uneaten, just in case James comes back, as some deranged part of Sirius’s mind believes he always will.

\----

_“You think he’s touched in the head, do you?” Harry said furiously._

_“No. I think he’s just been very lonely for a very long time.” Hermione said simply._

\----

**Note:** About the title--there’s the idea of Sirius being touched in the head and Sirius being very lonely for a very long time. “Blurred lines” refer to the fact that Sirius may be, sadly, a little bit of both.


End file.
